WEBVTT 3THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR WILDLIFE EDUCATION HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE POPULAR DURING IT'S 20 YEARS OF OPERATION. SINCE IT'S OPENING, IT'S EXPANDED FROM 4-POINT-5 ACUS AND A FOCUS PRIMARILY ON RAPTORS AND REPTILES TO NOW 18 ACRES SHOWCASING A WATERFOWL POND AND CYPRESS SWAMP AMONG OTHER EXHIBITS."I THINK BEING UNIVERSITY AFFLIATED IS KEY, WE'RE ABOUT EDUCATION, SO THERE WAS A VERY REAL NEED AND REMAINS A VERY REAL NEED TO EDUCATE TOMORROW'S LEADER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT." AND THAT EDUCATION WILL EXPAND EVEN MORE, AS PART OF THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SATURDAY, THE CENTER WILL UNVEIL A NEW INVASIVE SPECIES EXHIBIT, FEATURING THINGS LIKE BURMESE PYTHON, FERAL HOGS, AND MOSQUITOES JUST TO NAME A FEW."REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO LETTING PEOPLE SEE AND LEARN ALL ABOUT INVASIVE SPECIES AND THEIR IMPACT BOTH TO THE FOREIGN FAUNA AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENT." THERE ARE SO MANY ATTRACTIONS HERE AT THE WILDLIFE EDUCATION CENTER THAT MAKES IT POPULAR, BUT NONE MORE SO THAN THE EAGLE BEHIND ME..FREEDOM." THE CENTER WAS ACTUALLY ALREADY OPEN FOR MANY YEARS AND THEN WE FINALLY GOT THE RIGHT EAGLE, HERE FREEDOM IS FLYING AND YOU'RE RIGHT, HE CAPTURES THE SHOW ALMOST ALWAYS." AND THE CENTER IS ALMOST ALWAYS BUSY AS WELL."WE PROBABLY CONNECT WITH OVER A HALF MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR WHEN THINK ABOUT IT THE PRESENCE OF FREEDOM, SOME OF THE OFF-SITE PROGRAMS, WE SERVICE 33 COUNTIES, SCHOOL AGE K-12, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL." IN STATESBORO, DAVE WILLIAMS, WJCL 22 NEWS.3THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTER'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY TAKES PLACE TOMORROW FROM ONE TO FIVE P-M.THE EVENT IS FREE

A longtime fixture and popular attraction on the Georgia Southern Statesboro campus will celebrate a milestone this weekend.

The University's Center for Wildlife Education turns 20 and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

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The Georgia Southern University Center for Wildlife Education has become more and more popular during it's 20 years of operation.

Since it's opening, it's expanded from 4.5 acres and a focus primarily on raptors and reptiles to now 18 acres showcasing a waterfowl pond and cypress swamp among other exhibits.

"I think being university affiliated is key," said Steve Hein, Executive Director, Center for Wildlife Education. "We're about education, so there was a very real need and remains a very real need to educate tomorrow's leader about the importance of the environment."

And that education will expand even more, as part of their 20th anniversary celebration Saturday, the center will unveil a new Invasive Species Exhibit, featuring things like Burmese python, feral hogs, and mosquitoes just to name a few.

"Really looking forward to letting people see and learn all about invasive species and their impact both to the foreign fauna as well as environment," explained Hein.

There are so many attractions at the Wildlife Education Center that makes it popular, but none more so than the eagle, Freedom.

"The center was actually already open for many years and then we finally got the right eagle here," said Hein. "Freedom is flying and you're right, he captures the show almost always."

And the center is almost always busy as well.

"We probably connect with over a half million people a year when think about it the presence of Freedom," said Hein. "Some of the off-site programs, we service 33 counties, school age K-12, but the general public as well."

The celebration of the Center's 20th anniversary takes place Saturday from one to five pm.